Archive for June, 2012

(Belcamp, Maryland – June 26, 2012) Stories of one of our country’s most contentious debates over slavery and westward expansion and the Underground Railroad filled the Bel Air Library on Saturday, June 23rd. With over 50 in attendance, Fergus Bordewich, author of “America’s Great Debate,” spoke about the about the epic story of the Compromise of 1850, bringing to life the colorful characters like Daniel Webster and John Colhoon and their stances during his animated discussion. Stories included those not found in history books about the longest debate in Congressional history – like the fights that broke out on the Senate floor; the extraordinary political strategies that were at work during this turbulent time in our history; and the untold heroes of the Underground Railroad.

The Fergus Bordewich program is part of the Journey Stories Meet the Author series and was held in conjunction with the Journey Stories Smithsonian exhibition at the Abingdon Library. Open from May 19th to July 6th, this exhibition examines the intersection between modes of travel and Americans’ desire to feel free to progress and flourish, voyage and explore. Various cultural opportunities in conjunction with Journey Stories are being held in Library Branches and Activity Centers across Harford County. Harford County’s role in the Underground Railroad is examined in an exhibition at the Bel Air Library.

“Harford Friends School would like to applaud the Harford County Public Library and the Harford County Department of Community Services for their collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution in bringing this wonderful series Journey Stories to our community,” stated Lois Kissinger Kelly, Board of Trustees Chair for the Harford Friends School “As the lead sponsor, Harford Friends School welcomed Fergus Bordewich as he regaled us with stories of America’s great orators such as Henry Clay and Stephen Douglas that led to the Compromise of 1850. Kelly further commented, “I hope all will take the opportunity to visit the fascinating and interesting exhibits that are spread throughout the County.”

“Bringing the Smithsonian Exhibition and its related exhibits, programming and author presentations to Harford County has been an amazing journey for all involved in the project,” stated Library Director, Mary Hastler. “More than 15,000 visitors have toured exhibits, attended author discussions, and participated in programming at Library Branches and Activity Centers.. We hope to see many more before the exhibition closes on July 6th and look forward to bringing new cultural arts opportunities of this caliber to our community in the future.”

Journey Stories is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the Maryland Humanities Council. The Journey Stories exhibition and accompanying programs are offered to the public through a partnership between Harford County Public Library and the Harford County Department of Community Services.

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Photo caption #1: A crowd of more than 50 listen as Fergus Bordewich speaks at the Bel Air Library on June 23rd.

Bel Air – The Harford County Department of Community Services is proud to announce the “Meet the Authors” series happening in June 2012 at the Veronica “Roni” Chenowith Activity Center, located at 1707 Fallston Road in Fallston.
On Wednesday, June 27, 6 p.m., Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa will tell his journey story from his start as a nineteen-year-old undocumented migrant worker into becoming Dr. Q, an internationally renowned neurosurgeon. At the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa has four positions: neurosurgeon who teaches oncology and neurosurgery; director of a neurosurgery clinic; and head of a laboratory studying brain tumors. He also performs nearly 250 brain operations a year. Learn more about young “Freddy” and his days toiling in the tomato fields of California, and how his persistence and determination led him to “Becoming Dr. Q” at the “Meet the Authors” series on June 23.

Call 410-638-3260 to register for this “Meet the Authors” event.

The “Meet the Authors” Series is part of the Journey Stories Smithsonian Exhibition coming to various locations throughout Harford County, May 11 – June 6. Journey Stories is part of The Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the Maryland Humanities Council. The exhibition and accompanying programs are offered to the public through a partnership between the Harford County Department of Community Services and Harford County Public Library.

(Belcamp, Maryland – June 19, 2012) The Vandiver Inn in Havre de Grace was hurled into space on June 14th with stories of space flight by Col. Al Worden, command module pilot for the Apollo 15 mission to the moon and author of Falling to Earth. With more than 130 people in attendance, the event, a fundraiser for the Harford County Public Library (HCPL) Foundation, offered guests a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet an astronaut!

Col. Al Worden was part of the Journey Stories Meet the Author series and was held in conjunction with the Journey Stories Smithsonian exhibition at the Abingdon Library. Open from May 19 to July 6, this exhibition examines the intersection between modes of travel and Americans’ desire to feel free to progress and flourish, voyage and explore. Various cultural opportunities in conjunction with Journey Stories are being held in library branches and activity centers across the county.

“We have been thrilled with the community’s response to Journey Stories. Nearly 15,000 people have visited the exhibitions and attended the associated programs since opening day,” stated Amber C. Shrodes, HCPL Foundation Director. “The business community has been especially supportive in this endeavor, sponsoring exhibitions, authors, and other programming that round out this cultural experience throughout the county.”

The Kelly Group, an accounting and wealth and asset management firm in Bel Air, was the Headlining Sponsor for the Worden event. “The Kelly Group would like to thank Col. Al Worden and HCPL for putting together a world class experience right here in our community. Col. Worden once again showed us all how much we can accomplish when we set our mind to a particular goal. As a firm deeply committed to making our community a better place, I’m thankful to HCPL that we could play a small role in making the evening a success,” said Bill Kelly, a founding partner of the Kelly Group, Certified Public Accountant, and Certified Financial Planner.

Award-winning radio broadcaster Bill Vanko led Col. Worden through his story in an interview that brought out the joys of space flight and the pitfalls of astronaut celebrity. Worden entertained the crowd with witty repartee and his out-of-this-world account of his 1971 mission including his record-breaking isolation in space and exhilarating deep space walk where he became the first human ever to see both the Earth and the moon simply by turning his head. In all, Col. Worden spent 295 hours and 11 minutes in space.

“To personally meet and talk with Col. Worden was a unique experience,” commented Mark Welsh, President of the Harford County Public Library Foundation, who attended the early VIP reception. “The library can really offer up an exceptional evening of entertainment!”

“Col. Worden made his story come to life. I was excited to attend this event and right here in our community!” exclaimed Alfred Belen III, an event attendee. “Col. Worden is another extraordinary speaker in a long line that the Library Foundation has brought to Harford County.”

Journey Stories is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the Maryland Humanities Council. The Journey Stories exhibition and accompanying programs are offered to the public through a partnership between Harford County Public Library and the Harford County Department of Community Services.

Photo caption #3: Col. Al Worden speaks to a crowd of over 130 at the Vandiver Inn in Havre de Grace on June 14th during a fundraiser for the Harford County Public Library Foundation. Photo credit: J. Thomas Photography

Photo caption #4: County Executive David Craig and Havre de Grace Council Member Bill Martin get their copies of ‘Falling to Earth’ signed by author and astronaut Col. Al Worden at the Vandiver Inn on June 14th. Photo credit: J. Thomas Photography

(Belcamp, Maryland – June 13, 2012) George Guidall, known as the man with the golden voice of audiobooks, spoke to over 70 in attendance at the Fallston Library on June 12th. An Audio Award Winner, Mr. Guidall has recorded over 900 books. The audience learned the ins and outs of recording favorite authors and was given a demonstration of One Click Digital, Harford County Public Library’s audiobook source from Recorded Books. The Library currently has over 3,000 audiobooks in its collection.

Harford County Public Library operates eleven branches located throughout Harford County, Maryland. The library serves over 160,000 registered borrowers of all ages and has an annual circulation of over 4,800,000. Harford County Public Library is committed to connecting people with information and promoting the love of reading within the community.

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Photo caption #1: George Guidall speaks to an audience of over 135 at the Fallston Library on June 12th.

Bel Air – On Tuesday, May 15, 6 p.m. at the McFaul Activity Center, 525 W. MacPhail Road in Bel Air, Henri Diamant will tell his journey story as recalled in the book Escape to Africa.

In Escape to Africa, Diamant details his childhood experience, describing his journey from Czechoslovakia, just before the Nazis invaded the country in 1939, to the Belgian Congo.
Diamant and his family first moved from Czechoslovakia to Lumumbashi, an eastern area of the Belgian Congo, when he was 8 years old. His father worked for Bata Shoe Company in Europe and asked to be transferred. Diamant and his family left just in time – he later discovered that ninety percent of his immediate family members who remained in Czechoslovakia died in Nazi concentration camps.

Diamant loved living in the Congo. “I was mesmerized by the idea of living in Africa, having pets and things like that,” Diamant said. “I can’t imagine what my parents must have gone through. Here they’re going to the deepest heart of Africa, what used to be called the Dark Continent, with two young children.”

Diamant, now 81 years old, has a lifetime of history and adventure to share. Learn more about Henri Diamanti’s journey story from Czechoslovakia to the Congo and finally to Harford County at the “Meet the Authors” series at McFaul Activity Center on May 15 at 6 p.m., part of the Journey Stories Smithsonian Exhibition coming to various locations throughout Harford County, May 11 – June 6.

Call 410-638-4040 to register.

Journey Stories is part of The Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the Maryland Humanities Council. The exhibition and accompanying programs are offered to the public through a partnership between the Harford County Department of Community Services and Harford County Public Library.

Bel Air – On Tuesday, May 15, at the McFaul Activity Center in Bel Air, over 50 people were in attendance to hear Henri Diamant tell his journey story, as recalled in the book Escape to Africa. Diamant captured the audience with photos, anecdotes and personal recounts of his experiences.

“Henri Diamant was charming, funny, and engaging,” said one attendee. “The way he told his story brought to life his experience. It was a pleasure to hear directly from the author about his very special journey.”

In Escape to Africa, Diamant details his childhood experience, describing his journey from Czechoslovakia, just before the Nazis invaded the country in 1939, to the Belgian Congo.
Diamant and his family first moved from Czechoslovakia to Lumumbashi, an eastern area of the Belgian Congo, when he was 8 years old. His father worked for Bata Shoe Company in Europe and asked to be transferred. Diamant and his family left just in time – he later discovered that ninety percent of his immediate family members who remained in Czechoslovakia died in Nazi concentration camps.

The “Meet the Authors” series is part of the Journey Stories Smithsonian Exhibition featured at various locations throughout Harford County, May 11 – June 6.

The next “Meet the Author” series will be held Wednesday, May 23, 6pm, at the McFaul Activity Center, 525 W. MacPhail Road, Bel Air. Featured speaker Dr. Rebecca Boehling will discuss the inspiration for her book Life and Loss in the Shadow of the Holocaust. Her fascinating and deeply moving book is an account of the Kaufmann-Steinberg family’s life before, during, and after the Holocaust. Registration is recommended; call 410-638-4040 to register.

(Belcamp, Maryland – June 11, 2012) Harford County Public Library (HCPL) kicked off its Summer Reading Program, Dream Big, on Monday, June 11th at all of its 11 branches. A special surprise was waiting for children of all ages as they entered the Bel Air Library where they were greeted by Tales, the Library mascot and Ferrous, the Ironbirds mascot!

“What a great way to build early literacy skills for our youngest readers by participating in the Summer Reading Program. Plus, we make it a fun experience with incentives, programs and activities for all ages,” stated Library Director Mary Hastler. “And this year we anticipate our Dream Big program to attract a record number of participants. In 2011, there were more than 18,000 children and teens that joined the program and in the past five years the library has seen an increase in the number of participants by over 17 percent and our completion rate has increased by over 21%.”

Community support for the Summer Reading Program also continues to climb in record numbers. This year’s sponsors include Har-Co Federal Credit Union, Huether McClelland Foundation, Best Buy, Rosedale Federal Savings and Loan, Berardino Family Trust, Aberdeen Rotary, APG Federal Credit Union, Wegmans, Celebree, Growing Smiles, Darlington Friends of HCPL and The Aegis. Sponsors were in attendance at the Bel Air and Fallston libraries for the kickoff

“We are once again so excited about the level of support we have received for the Summer Reading Program. We had many sponsors return again this year which speaks highly of the partnerships we have created and continue to sustain, plus we had several new organizations join us,” commented Library Foundation Director, Amber Shrodes. “We are fortunate to live in a community where the Library receives such outstanding support.”

“HAR-CO is proud to continue their community commitment in supporting the Harford County Public Library’s Summer Reading Program,” said Diane Moore of HAR-CO Maryland Federal Credit Union. “We recognize the importance of summer reading and want to support the Library’s efforts in reaching the children in our community.”

Ashley Douglas of Celebree Learning Centers further commented on the importance of early literacy skills. “Celebree is committed to kindergarten readiness and understands the critical role that early literacy plays in ensuring that our youth are ready for school. The Summer Reading program provides the perfect opportunity to capture our youngest children and engage them in fun, interactive reading skills all summer long.”

Children and teens can sign up for the Summer Reading program at any Library branch. The Read To Me program is for the youngest readers birth through pre-school, and they are encouraged to listen to 25 books; elementary school participants can Dream Big and read 10 books; middle school and high school teens can participate in Own The Night and read 3 books. Children birth through elementary school receive a book when they complete the program; middle school students can select a book or journal and high school students will receive a $5 Best Buy gift card when they complete. Incentives are while supplies last.

Throughout the summer the library will have programs and fun for everyone. Children can dream big with singer-songwriter Tracey Eldridge, meet the creatures of Critter Caravans, get inside a bubble with the Bubble Lady, be amazed by Magician Mike Rose, sing along with Maria Broom and join in balloon fun with the Extreme Balloon Man Steven Gambrill. Candy and Cupcake, The Maryland Science Center, National Aquarium and the Maryland Zoo will also be visiting the Library branches.

All participants will also have the chance to win tickets to see the Orioles and one lucky winner will get to go on the field for the pre-game ceremony!

The Harford County Public Library Summer Reading Program runs from June 11th through August 18th. Please visit hcplonline.org or pick up a Headlines & Happenings Newsletter at any of the Library’s 11 branches for more information.

Harford County Public Library operates eleven branches located throughout Harford County, Maryland. The library serves over 210,000 registered borrowers of all ages and has an annual circulation of almost 4,700,000. Harford County Public Library is committed to connecting people with information and promoting the love of reading within the community.

Belcamp Md., June 4, 2012 — One of the most contentious debates ever to take place in Congress–focusing on westward expansion and slavery–is the topic of Fergus M. Bordewich’s lecture and book signing on Saturday, June 23, at 6:30 p.m. at the Bel Air Library, 100 East Pennsylvania Avenue in Bel Air. The lecture is open to the public and free of charge.
The evening’s Headlining Sponsor is Harford Friends School. Other event sponsors are The Bel Air Friends of Harford County Public Library, ACER Exhibits and Harford County Tourism.
The lecture is part of Journey Stories, a Smithsonian exhibit based at the Abingdon branch of the Harford County Public Library through July 6 that examines the intersection between modes of travel and Americans’ desire to feel free to progress and flourish, voyage and explore. Various cultural opportunities in conjunction with Journey Stories are being held in library branches and activity centers across the county through early July.
Published by Simon & Schuster earlier this year, “America’s Great Debate,” focuses on the Compromise of 1850, which ended the longest debate in congressional history. For 10 months Congress debated the admittance of California and Texas as states as well as the role of New Mexico, the fugitive slave law and elimination of the slave trade in Washington, D.C.
Bordewich outlines what led up to the debate and focuses on the congressional leaders who fought to uphold-and in some cases undermine-preservation of the union. Among those featured include Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, John C. Calhoun, Stephen A. Douglas, Jefferson Davis and William H. Seward.
“Although this book is primarily about the events of 1850, it is in a larger sense about the genesis of the Civil War,” Bordewich wrote in the preface. “It will be clear to anyone who unravels the debate of that year that the war was already under way in the psyches of many Americans, in their agonized struggle to respond to slavery.”
A book signing will be held after the lecture. Hardback copies of “America’s Great Debate” will be available for $25. Bordewich’s previous bestseller, “Bound for Canaan,” will be available for $10 (paperback). Both may be purchased that evening for $30 (cash, check or credit card).
To register for the event, call the Bel Air Library at 410-638-3151. For more information on this program or any of the other Journey Stories exhibitions, programs and author visits, log onto www.hcplonline.org.
In addition to “America’s Great Debate,” Bordewich has written five other nonfiction books: “Washington: The Making of the American Capital” (Amistad/HarperCollins, 2008); “Bound for Canaan: The Underground Railroad and the War for the Soul of America” (Amistad/HarperCollins, 2005); “My Mother’s Ghost,” a memoir (Doubleday, 2001); “Killing the White Man’s Indian: Reinventing Native Americans at the End of the Twentieth Century” (Doubleday, 1996); and
“Cathay: A Journey in Search of Old China” (Prentice Hall Press, 1991).
Bordewich’s books have received critical acclaim. “Bound for Canaan” was selected as one of the American Booksellers’ Association’s “ten best nonfiction books” in 2005; as the Great Lakes Booksellers’ Association’s “best nonfiction book” of 2005; as one of the Austin Public Library’s Best Nonfiction Books of 2005; and as one of the New York Public Library’s “ten books to remember” in 2005. In addition, Jonathan Yardley of The Washington Post named “Washington” as one of his “Best Books of 2008.”
Bordewich, an independent writer and historian since the early 1970s, has also published an illustrated children’s book; written the script for a PBS documentary about Thomas Jefferson; and edited an illustrated book of eyewitness accounts of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
Journey Stories is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the Maryland Humanities Council. The Journey Stories exhibition and accompanying programs are offered to the public through a partnership between Harford County Public Library and the Harford County Department of Community Services.
Harford County Public Library operates 11 branches located throughout Harford County. The library serves more than 160,000 registered borrowers of all ages and has an annual circulation of more than 4.8 million. Harford County Public Library is committed to connecting people with information and promoting the love of reading within the community.
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Head shot: Fergus M. Bordewich will speak about “America’s Great Debate” and the Compromise of 1850 on Saturday, June 23, at the Bel Air Library.

Book Cover: “America’s Great Debate” details the longest debate in congressional history.

(Belcamp, Maryland – June 5, 2012) The buzz in the Bel Air Library on June 2 was all about churning butter, wearing bonnets and swimming in Plum Creek. Sound familiar? These stories were from the days of Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the Little House on the Prairie book series but also of author, Wendy McClure, as she journeyed into the life of Laura and the result being the publication of her book The Wilder Life.

With over 50 people in attendance, Wendy spoke of her love of the “Little House” books when she was growing up and how that love was rekindled as an adult. Retracing the pioneer journey of the Ingalls Family, McClure heads west to the Big Woods of Wisconsin where Laura was born; to the shores of Plum Creek in Minnesota; and to South Dakota, where she weathers a hailstorm in a rented covered wagon. She learns to churn butter in her living room while catching up on episodes of the 1970s television series and enjoys a “Little House”-inspired cocktail called The Half Pint.

“It was a fun evening hearing the stories of Wendy McClure as she traveled to the many Ingalls’ homesteads. The audience was equally entertaining with their own tales of Laura Ingalls’ pilgrimages,” explained Library Marketing Manager, Janine Lis. “The stories of Laura Ingalls and her family have resonated with so many over the years and it was wonderful that the Library was able to provide an evening of story-telling!”

Wendy McClure and The Wilder Life program is part of the Journey Stories, which includes the main exhibition at the Abingdon Library along with several other exhibitions, author presentations and programming at Library Branches and Activity Centers.

Journey Stories is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the Maryland Humanities Council and is presented in Harford County by Harford County Public Library and Harford County Department of Community Services. For more information please visit HCPLonline.org/journey or pick up the Official Guidebook at any library branch, activity center and key retail outlets in Harford County.

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Photo caption #1: Wendy McClure, author of “The Wilder Life” speaks to a crowd of 50 plus at the Bel Air Library on June 2nd.

Photo caption #2: Wendy McClure signs copies of her book “The Wilder Life” at the Bel Air Library on June 2nd.

Belcamp Md., May 23, 2012 — Meet the first person to conduct a deep space walk when Col. Al Worden, command module pilot for the Apollo 15 mission to the moon and the author of “Falling to Earth,” comes to Harford County for a benefit lecture and book signing on Thursday, June 14, at 7 p.m.
The event, a fundraiser for the Harford County Public Library Foundation, will be held at the Vandiver Inn, 301 South Union Avenue in Havre de Grace. The Headlining Sponsor is The Kelly Group. Tickets cost $50 per person for the lecture or $65 per person for a VIP ticket that includes a private reception with Col. Worden at 6:30 p.m. and reserved lecture seating. Tickets are available by calling 410-273-5600 or by visiting www.hcplonline.org.
The lecture is part of Journey Stories, a Smithsonian exhibit based at the Abingdon branch of the Harford County Public Library from May 19 to July 6 that examines the intersection between modes of travel and Americans’ desire to feel free to progress and flourish, voyage and explore. Various cultural opportunities in conjunction with Journey Stories are being held in library branches and activity centers across the county.
Col. Worden was one of three astronauts on the Apollo 15 mission that took place July 26 to August 7, 1971. It was the fourth manned lunar landing mission but the first to visit and explore the moon’s Hadley Rille and Apennene Mountains. Joining Col. Worden on the mission were Dave Scott, spacecraft commander, and Jim Irwin, lunar module commander.
While spending 38 minutes in extravehicular activity (EVA) outside the command module Endeavour, Col. Worden made three visits to the scientific instrument module bay, retrieving film cassettes from panoramic and mapping cameras. He also reported his observations of the condition of the equipment. While conducting the first deep space walk, Col. Worden became the first human ever to see both the Earth and the moon simply by turning his head. In all, Col. Worden spent 295 hours and 11 minutes in space.
“I realized I had a unique viewpoint: I could see the entire moon if I looked in one direction. Turning my head, I could see the entire Earth,” Col. Worden wrote in his autobiography published last year. “The view is impossible to see on Earth or on the moon. I had to be far enough away from both. In all of human history, no one had been able to see what I could just by turning my head. It was incredible.”
Apollo 15’s other achievements were significant. They included the largest payloads placed in Earth and lunar orbits; first scientific instrument module bay flown and operated on an Apollo spacecraft; longest lunar surface stay time (66 hours, 54 minutes); longest lunar surface EVA; longest distance traveled on the lunar surface; first use of lunar roving vehicle; first use of lunar surface navigation device; first subsatellite launched in lunar orbit; and first EVA from a command module during transearth coast.
Col. Worden is the author of “Falling to Earth,” published in 2011 by Smithsonian Books, that outlines his life from his boyhood days on a farm in Michigan to West Point to NASA to the postal covers scandal that had a dramatic affect on his life. Currently, Col. Worden is the chair of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.
A book signing will be held after the lecture. Hardback copies of “Falling to Earth” will be available for purchase for $25 (cash, check, credit card) at the event.
Journey Stories is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the Maryland Humanities Council. The Journey Stories exhibition and accompanying programs are offered to the public through a partnership between Harford County Public Library and the Harford County Department of Community Services.
Harford County Public Library operates 11 branches located throughout Harford County. The library serves more than 160,000 registered borrowers of all ages and has an annual circulation of more than 4.8 million. Harford County Public Library is committed to connecting people with information and promoting the love of reading within the community.